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Why not separate your projects into two or more folders, then focus on the folder of interest? You don't see any actions from the other folders, and you aren't adding changes to the database transaction history when you switch back and forth. You can also have a window that is showing your work tasks and a window showing other tasks simultaneously. Sweeping changes of the database state just doesn't seem like the best way to go...

If you really want to automate the switching based on time, you could set up a couple of scripts that will focus on the desired folder(s), then run them as alert actions from iCal.

Smarsh, we've got a feature request open on activating/deactivating contexts by time of day. If that would work for your purposes, let us know and we can attach you to that item in the development database. Thanks!

Whpalmer4 - these are also good suggestions. I will certainly look at the two window option although it feels simpler to be able to toggle status' by time to minimise the sense of workaround.

Oh, the two window suggestion was meant to illustrate a way in which my proposal was more flexible, not that you would necessarily want to always use it that way. I think it is important to have the ability to easily view your data in a different "setting" than the one you are currently in, which an automatic time-based facility may not provide. For example, you've got a bunch of contexts set to only be active during normal work hours, but it's Sunday night and you want to look at what is on tap for the upcoming work week, or just doing a standard review outside of your normal work time. With my approach, you just focus on the work folder. With the time-based approach, either you need some way to disable it, or fool around with changing the time. Or what if you want to look at both, because you're on the cusp, wondering whether you'll advance toward your goals more by spending the next hour working on work or personal items? This last scenario what what I had in mind when I mentioned the multiple windows.

Focusing on folders is not a workaround, though — that's a core OmniFocus feature.

The other obvious win to my suggestion is that you can start using it today. Time-based contexts probably aren't very close to the top of the most-requested feature list, so unless the idea has a champion at Omni, it may be a long wait.

I would also like to see time-based contexts; I'd love to have my general calls context wink in and out so it appears for normal business hours only. That's the one context that cuts orthogonally to the projects for me — whether it is a work project or a personal project, that time boundary is still there. On the other hand, my time is my own, and I can largely decide that I want to do work or do play as I wish, so there the folder approach is superior. Using both, I get the flexibility to work on whatever I want, and the tasks that can only be done during certain parts of the day can be hidden (though once again the issues about getting a good view at other times rear their heads).

I'll add my support to time/day based contexts too. I've got an "out of hours" context and it would be very useful indeed to have this activate, start reminding me, outside of normal business hours.

It would also be nice to configure all day at the weekend as "active" for this context too. maybe it would be easier to configure the "on hold" periods instead of the active periods ? in my case, on hold for the out-of-hours context would be mon-fri 6am-8pm.

I've been an omnigraffle user for some years and omnifocus has impressed me just as much. after only a few days it's already paid for itself...